Marketing

March 22, 2023

So, if the new compliance changes we all experienced last year weren’t enough, get ready for round 2 next year. In this article we are going to highlight just a few of the important proposed CMS rule changes for 2024. Proposed compliance changes by CMS include an even longer third party marketing organization (TPMO) disclaimer and bringing back the 48-hour scope of appointment (SOA) rule.

Keep in mind that these are proposed changes and are not yet final.

Proposed CMS Rule Changes for 2024 — New Disclaimer Would Require Agent To List All Carriers Appointed With For Medicare Advantage and Part D

New and Improved (longer) TPMO Disclaimer

In case you missed the sarcasm in the above title, this proposed rule puts an additional burden on the agent. Let’s first quickly review last year’s disclaimer:

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all your options.

The proposed updated disclaimer would now require the agent to list out all the plans that he/she does offer.

We do not offer every plan in your area. Any information that we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in you are which are . Please contact Medicare.gov , 1-800-MEDICARE, or you local State Health Insurance Program to get information on all your options.

Here Comes The 48 Hour Rule Again

For those who have been in the Medicare Advantage and Part D market for some time will remember the original 48-hour rule where the Scope of Appointment form had to be completed at least 48 hours before the agent could meet with the consumer.

Medicare Advantage 48 hour rule — New Proposed Regulation Would Reinstate The 48 Hour Rule

We are not going to debate whether or not this was a good idea to begin with, but it sure did make things hard on the consumer and agent especially with such a small window of time existing during the Annual Enrollment Period.

Under the proposed rule, in 2024 the 48-hour rule would be reinstated. CMS would require the agent to obtain the signed SOA at least 48 hours before the appointment. This will eliminate the opportunity for the consumer to sign the SOA and then immediately find out about plan benefits. Last but not least, the SOA would only be valid for up to 6 months from the date the consumer signed it.

Are Educational Events Impacted?

You better believe it!! Many agents have previously held education events and then would conduct marketing or sales afterwards. This could include scheduling a future sales appointment with an attendee.

In the new proposed rule, this would now be prohibited from taking place. The agent would of course still be able to hold an educational event, but no sales marketing would be able to take place until at least 12 hours has passed since the end of the educational event. The exact wording is Marketing events would not be able to take place within 12 hours of an educational event at the same location.

Medicare Advantage Educational Events — Proposed Rule Would Restrict Agent From Marketing/Sales To Attendees For At Least 12 Hours

No, you will not be able to send them to the lobby of the building and talk to them there or even to an adjacent building not connected to the location of the educational event so don’t even try this tactic.

Is There Any Good News?

Maybe….

The call recording rules could relax a bit where you might not have to record appointment-setting calls or follow up calls to your newly insured client. While this part of the proposed rule would be a welcome addition, the trade off is that you still will not be able to classify video calls as face-to-face, so they will need to be recorded and stored for 10 years.

Final Thoughts

As we stated right out of the gate…these are proposed rules and have not been finalized. While most of the complaints over the years have been aimed towards call centers, we are sorry to say that the independent agent is unfairly being lumped in with them. It has always been our original stance and will continue to remain that these repeat offenders should be held responsible and forced to either change their actions or be eliminated from our industry. As always, as we continue to learn more about the proposed CMS rule changes for 2024 we will keep you updated.

To download or view the proposed rule on the Federal Register, click here.

February 10, 2023

Atlantic Coast Life Discontinues New Medicare Supplement Sales

Atlantic Coast Life has made the decision to stop selling Medicare Supplement plans effective 2/15/2023.

Important Key Medicare Supplement Dates:

Any applications must be signed, dated, and received in the Administrative Office of Atlantic Coast Life no later than 2/15/2023.
Incomplete applications as of 2/15/2023 will automatically be withdrawn.
Applications received after 2/15/2023 will automatically be declined.

Important Key Commission Notices:

Any Medicare Supplement policy issued after 1/31/2023 will be paid on an as earned basis.
Commission advances on Medicare Supplement business issued prior to 1/31/2023, will continue per the advance agreement in your contract.

The company will continue to service all existing policyholders.

If you need an additional Medicare Supplement carrier, please call us at (800)924-4727.

February 10, 2023

Effective February 13, 2023 Pan-American Medicare Supplement will no longer be accepting new applications.

Pan-American will continue to service all existing policyholders and agents will continue to have access to their client’s information.

Pan-American will continue to focus on its long-term growth strategy and will be releasing new products in the future including an Indemnity Product that includes accident coverage, along with Vision coverage and a Hearing Aid rider.

If you have any questions or need an additional Medicare Supplement carrier, please call (800)924-4727.

February 7, 2023

Are you looking for an affordable short term care plan to help your clients pay for home health care expenses or even stays in a nursing home? Recover Cash coupled with TCARE is the plan you’ve been waiting for. In addition to helping your clients pay for care, the plan also provides much needed benefits for the caregiver.

Why Your Clients Need This Plan

The problem is that too many times we hear about Medicare beneficiaries that don’t meet the criteria to qualify for skilled nursing facility benefits. Medicare will deny benefits if the individual does not spend three full days in the hospital before being discharged. While this is one area where the short term care plan would benefit a consumer, don’t forget that most individuals would rather get home health care instead of going to a nursing home to recover. Many Medicare Advantage plans are denying benefits and requiring your clients to file an appeal. The needed payments will be provided by the plan so that care is not delayed.

Short Term Care plans can help caregivers from feeling burned out — Short Term Care plans can help alleviate caregiver stress and burnout.

Caregiver Burnout

This situation is all too real for many family members who are caring for a sick relative. These figures are concerning:

Over half of the family caregivers report high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.
More than 80% of family caregivers do not receive any respite care.

The Recover Cash plan offers an additional incentive so that the family caregiver will register and complete the TCARE assessment. TCARE will provide a plan of care that will detail the caregiver’s risk factors and how to prevent them from happening, in addition to the plan paying out an additional $3,500. The additional $3,500 can be used by the insured to compensate the family member for providing care and likewise help that family member pay for expenses such as gas to make the trip to and from their home. Furthermore, this benefit alone propels the Recover Cash short-term care plan to the top!

Click here to read more about how TCARE works.

Benefit Options

Nursing Home/Assisted Living Facility Benefit: $50-$300 per day
Elimination Period: 0 or 20 days
Benefit Periods: 30, 45, 60, 90, 180 or 360 days
Home Health Care Rider with Family Caregiver Support: $50 – $1400 per week
HHC Rider Elimination Period: 0 or 20 days
HHC Rider Benefit Periods: 26 or 52 weeks
Inflation Riders: Simple or Compounding

Marketing Material

No need to come up with marketing materials on your own. In fact, GTL has created compliance approved materials and Senior Benefit Services, Inc can customize these client postcards and info-graph flyers for you or your agency. To see if Recover Cash has been approved in any of your current states, click here.

Get Started Today

To learn more about the Recover Cash short term care plan call our marketing department at (800)924-4727 or send us an online request to be contacted.

January 19, 2023

If things weren’t complicated enough for today’s independent agents, the Medicare Advantage and Part D proposed changes for 2024 makes it even more time consuming to help Medicare beneficiaries.

Return Of The 48 Hour SOA Rule

For those of you who were writing Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans prior to 2018 will remember that once you obtained the completed Scope of Appointment (SOA) form that you had to wait 48 hours before you could meet with the prospect. In 2018 this requirement was reduced to allowing the agent to get the completed SOA even on the day of the appointment (but still prior to the sales presentation beginning).

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed the returning to the 48 hour rule which will once again require agents to obtain the completed SOA at least 48 hours prior to the sales appointment. In addition, the SOA will be valid only for 6 months from the Medicare beneficiary’s signature date on the form.

The Never-Ending Disclaimer

Apparently the following disclaimer is hard for today’s Medicare beneficiaries to understand <insert eye roll here>.

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or ‍1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.

Agents will now have to actually list all the Medicare Advantage and Part D companies that they represent.

“We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area which are . Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program to get information on all of your options.”

Wow!!! Can’t wait to see how long some of those lists will be.

Resources:

The links below will take you directly to the Medicare Advantage and Part D Proposed Changes for 2024.

Fact Sheet for Proposed Rule can be downloaded here

Post by CMS on Proposed Rule can be viewed here

January 19, 2023

Get a jumpstart on the new year and collect some extra bonus cash by writing Medico Medicare Supplement during the first quarter of 2023!

How To Qualify

Agents can qualify with five approved and taken policies. Any combination of Underwritten and Open Enrollment/Guaranteed Issue Medicare Supplement plans. Policies must be approved before payout is eligible and must be effective by May 1, 2023.

What The Agent Gets

$125 for each underwritten approved application
$25 for each Open Enrollment/Guaranteed Issue approved application

For additional rules and limitations be sure to login to the Medico agent portal. Don’t let the Medico Medicare Supplement Bonus pass you by.

New and Improved (longer) TPMO Disclaimer

Here Comes The 48 Hour Rule Again

Are Educational Events Impacted?